deploying bee inspectors across the area who will use infrared cameras and traps to track hornets and locate any nests

readying nest disposal experts who will use pesticides to kill the hornets and destroy any nests

Close up of a dead Asian hornet (Image: getty)

Nicola Spence, Defra Deputy Director for Plant and Bee Health, said: "While the Asian Hornet poses no greater risk to human health than a bee, we recognise the damage they can cause to honey bee colonies.

"That’s why we are taking swift and robust action to locate and destroy any nests in the Devon area following this confirmed sighting.

"Following the successful containment of the Asian hornet incursion in Gloucestershire last year, we have a well-established protocol in place to eradicate them and control any potential spread.

"We remain vigilant across the country, working closely with the National Bee Unit and their nationwide network of bee inspectors."

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A local control centre will be opened this week in North Devon and bee inspectors from APHA National Bee Unit will be carrying out surveillance and monitoring initially in a 1-2 km radius around the sighting.

They will be supported by nest disposal experts who will use an approved pesticide to destroy any hornets and remove any nests.

The free Asian Hornet Watch reporting app, launched last March and downloaded 6,500 times already, allows people to quickly and easily report possible sightings of the invasive species and send pictures of suspect insects to experts at the National Bee Unit.

The Asian hornet (Image: SWNS)

What should you do if you think you've found an Asian hornet nest?

Anyone who believes they have found a nest should not go near it and report it using the Asian Hornet Watch app which is available to download from the Apple and Android app stores.